Budowsky: Politically, the female decade has begun

By the end of the current decade, women will have achieved unprecedented success and achievements across America and many places throughout the free world. In the near future, after one ongoing event is concluded, I will offer a substantial and dramatic proposal to make this day come closer.

This movement will provide significant advantages for Democrats against Trump Republicans.  For the very short term, between now and the midterm elections, it creates a somewhat better chance that Democrats can retain control of Congress than the commentariat class seems to believe.

Make no mistake, there is real risk for Democrats in the coming midterms. It will require Democrats to demonstrate the kind of idealism coupled with realism that I recently suggested. Maximize what can be achieved with the current 50 Democratic senators, pass it to help and lift the maximum number of Americans, and campaign like hell to achieve the rest and elect more Democratic senators.

Similarly, the administration should slow down the rush of events regarding Title 42 involving immigration, until there are clear strategies and plans to implement immigration policy in a post-Title 42 environment.

Why do I believe there is a greater chance than some pessimists believe for Democrats to salvage the 2022 midterms, and politically surge in the coming years from the power of women in the female decade I suggest has begun?

As I have written about before, watch the political power of women that will immediately strike when the United States Supreme Court directly or de facto reverses Roe v. Wade, which I expect to happen by June!

This will create an intense backlash from a large majority of American women, including many moderate Republican and swing voting women, whose reaction will be much more politically powerful in the midterms than many pundits realize.

The fact is, on the issue of Roe v. Wade and a long list of other critical issues, the conservative Supreme Court majority is well to the right of large swaths of American voters, including women and many men, who will become hyper-motivated to vote, and vote for Democrats, in November 2022.

On a wide range of issues President Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Democratic leaders and members in the House and Senate have historically powerful records, dramatized during the COVID-19 crisis and throughout economic policy, in support of the interests of women, regardless of party!

Some of these issues have been enacted during the Biden presidency and Democratic Congress. Others are pending today and can be enacted before the midterms. The rest are winning issues for Democrats in November.

Women, and those who love them, want more affordable child care, better and more affordable health care, better education for kids, higher wages and minimum wages, student loan relief and lower prescription drug prices among other policies. 

These are Democratic issues advocated by Democratic leaders, members and candidates and opposed by most (but not all) Republicans that have huge appeal to women voters.

The coming confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court will be a banner day for all who care about justice and equal rights in America. She showed integrity, honor and dignity even when falsely attacked by some Republicans who did the GOP no good with many women voters, including moderate Republicans and suburban women, by their dishonest and strident attacks against her. And let’s praise Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah for supporting her!

The crystallizing event, I predict, will be the decisive Supreme Court attack against Roe v. Wade, which collides with the growing summer intensity of the midterm campaign.

There will be fundraisers, rallies, voter registration events, concerts, television shows and social media after that decision starring women from all walks of life and all segments of society.

There will be female teachers, academics, activists, labor advocates, movie and music stars, students, female corporate leaders  and community leaders of all races and backgrounds that will last through the female decade — and beyond!

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the House of Representatives.